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Town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
Photo: M.c.c.1999, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Kununurra is a town in the east of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, 45 km from the border with the Northern Territory. It was created from 1958 when an ambitious irrigation project dammed the River Ord and created a large fertile area. A second dam created the huge Lake Argyle; both barrage lakes are recreational areas. In 2021 Kununurra had a population of 4500.
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Local history museum with enthusiastic curator.
The highlight is the "Hidden Valley" of striking sandstone formations, often described as a miniature Bungle Bungles, with walking trails of 0.5 to 4 km. The rest of the park is open bushland with unmarked trails winding around the rocks and boab trees. You can hike into it free from anywhere along the north side of Victoria Hwy, eg from the gated service road opposite Hibiscus Drive - walk up the gravel road past the water tank. You need a sense of direction to get out again, and don't venture out on ledges as the brittle rocks may break.
There's a gym, but the main draws are the outdoor 6-lane 25 m swimming pool and the children's water play areas.
Set on the banks of the lake 2 km west of town and striking through some fairly swampy areas, this 18-hole course makes avoiding water hazards a definite challenge. Greens are well maintained but fairways give little relief from the surrounding natural terrain. You'd be hard pressed to find a more isolated course of this standard.
Petrol station serving fast food. Usually uninspiring, and it's only as clean as the last troupe of visitors, but it's there when you need it.
Bustling place with fresh coffee, tea, cakes and light bites.
Reliably good Chinese restaurant.
Good eats under the mango trees, dog-friendly.
Bright modern cafe serving breakfast and lunch.
Popular place, you're unlikely to get in without a reservation. Seating is cramped indoors, most diners choose to the spacious deck outside. The menu changes with the seasons, some veggie / GF choices, look for oddities such as the barramundi and crocodile risotto. They also have a decent selection of wine and beer. Quality of cooking and service erratic.
Stylish eatery in a former pumphouse for the Ord River irrigation scheme, serving modern Australian cuisine. Sit in the cavernous interior or on the riverside deck watching the crocs swim by.
A nice place to hangout in the courtyard, decent meals. Their bottle shop Liquor Barons closes at :30PM.
The oldest continuously-operating rum distillery in Western Australia, the Hoochery uses local cane sugar to make rum. They also make small batches of gin and whiskey. Tours daily at 2PM.
Northwest edge of town, this clean welcoming caravan park and campground expands across the football field to meet peak demand. The Barra cabins are simple but comfy, the two bedroom Ivanhoe Suites are great for families or groups.
formerly Ibis Styles
Under renovation from its former guise as an Ibis.
Clean, well-managed park with shady grassed caravan and tent sites, and air-conditioned studio or villa rooms. There's a swimming pool and campers' kitchen.
Simple decent place, but a lot of pub noise.
Clean friendly motel by the shops and cafes. Not to be confused with Croc YHA a few blocks north, which closed down.
Clean friendly place in a quiet spot by Mirima Rocks, with cabins and pitches.
Spacious 1-3 bedroom self-contained apartments around a shaded swimming pool. Friendly helpful owners.
Clean well-run place by the lagoon, with villas, cabins, and caravan and camping sites.
Scenic site on lakeside 2 km from town centre, with 24 cabin-style rooms and 25 camping / caravan pitches.
Decent chain park with cabins west edge of town.
Modern rooms scattered through a tropical garden with a pool and popular but overrated restaurant.
This is about the best Kununurra can offer, with 73 large modern rooms. Food offerings are hit-and-miss.
Small tourist village where the Lake Argyle Road ends at the dam, run by the Discovery Parks chain. Decent comfy facilities, with a small shop, restaurant, laundry and kitchen.
The main supermarket, with a good range of products, including some camping and fishing equipment. Much stock is trucked in frozen and then defrosted on the shelf, so freshness of products like bread can be sub-par, and fruit & veg will perish quickly after purchase.
Occasionally has fresh veg and bread, but mostly less range of goods and higher prices than Coles.
Aboriginal art from the Kimberley by established artists and unknowns. Great reviews for the range and quality on offer, and slick shipping service.
Displays art of the Miriwoong.
Their signature gemstone is the pink diamond - Lake Argyle Mine was the world's main source until it closed in 2020. The colour is thought to arise from shearing stress during formation, not altered mineral content.
By plane
To town: taxis await incoming flights and cost around $12 to town. Several hotels offer a free transfer if you're staying with them. There isn’t a bus.
By road
Are you sure about this? Kununurra is only 30 km from the Northern Territory border, but a very long way from anywhere else.
By bus
From Perth, Integrity Coaches run two days a week to Broome, taking 36 hours along the coast via Geraldton, Carnarvon, Exmouth and Port Hedland.
You can walk around town, but it's damned hot, and even reaching Elephant Rock needs a car.
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Kununurra · Regional · KNX
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